Wescot Credit Services.

[Rob_H]

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible.

 

I've been using Baines & Ernst to pay off my debts for the past 4 years. As of July this year my payment plan was completed and my account closed with all debts finally repaid. Now, here's where the fun really starts.

 

Baines & Ernst highlighted to me that they had actually been making payments to Wescot Credit Services on a Co-Operative Bank Account that was fraudulently opened in my name using details of a previous address of mine. It seems that back in 2001 when the account was opened Wescot sent me a demand for full repayment for over £1000 on this account, this demand ended up being sent to Baines & Ernst amongst a pile of other correspondence and they treated it as a bad debt and began to make regular repayments on my behalf. I know it was a schoolboy error and i should have checked more thoroughly. Anyway, the upshot of the whole saga is that the Co-op agreed that it was a fraudulent account and Wescot shouldn't have been pursuing me for any money whatsoever and therefore Wescot owed me a refund of £1751.00.

 

I waited 3 months while Wescot & Baines & Ernst argued between themselves about the total amount due to me and when a cheque would be drawn up and sent to me. Anyway after waiting patiently and getting nowhere my patience finally snapped and i demanded that Wescot do a BACS transfer into my account for the full amount.................which eventually they did last Wednesday.

 

So where's the problem now you ask?

 

Well, running alongside this fraudulent debt was a monthly repayment made on my behalf for a Goldfish Credit Card which was mine. This account was as usual 'bought' from Goldfish / HSBC by Wescot but ended being passed backwards and forwards between them and Lewis Debt Services over a period of time. Anyway, Baines & Ernst were (and still are) satisfied that this debt has now been paid in full so as i explained they have closed my account and refunded my set-up fee. Unfortunately Wescot do not seem to accept this and have been harassing me since last Wednesday for repayment (ironic they choose the same day that they actually paid ME £1751.00!) and are threatening further action. Their whole telephone manner and way of working needs to be addressed in some way. The woman i spoke to last week was very aggressive and actually shouted down the phone at me demanding "look just pay up!!"...............when i told her to contact Baines & Ernst and that her records were some 9 months out of date she just continued the same "pay it!!" mantra..........when i demanded her name so i could speak to her superior i had the phone uncerimoniously slammed down on me!

 

After speaking to Baines & Ernst for what seems like the umpteenth time over the last few months they acknowledged that this is no surprise to them and that it's "Wescot's style" to wrongly harass people this way. They have also have confirmed to me that the debt is paid in full and any further correspondence form Wescot should be forwarded to them immediately and any further phone calls should be met with my Baines & Ernst reference number and a request to contact them direct and to no longer contact me regarding it.

 

I have written to Baines & Ernst requesting a full payment breakdown for the entire history of the payment plan to Wescot and i have also written to Wescot to inform them that they are in breach of Section 40 of The Administration of Justice Act, the OFT Debt Collection Guidelines & possibly the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 which states "it is a criminal act for any person to pursue a course of action which they know, or ought to know, amounts to harassment of another person".

 

I have also reported Wescot to the OFT, The Fair Trading Officer at Kingston-upon-Hull Council (who are currently assigning an officer to the case) and my own local London Borough of Hillingdon Trading Standards office.

 

This whole debacle is not only extremely frustrating but is also delaying any further steps i want to take regarding tidying up my credit rating.

 

Any advice on the next course of action would be gratefully received.

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Rob

[Bazza100]

Do you subcribe to Credit Expert, if not I would advice that you do so, then you can check your credit file. The threats that Wescot send can not be inforced in any way, basically they have no authority what so ever thats why they go to the extreme measures of intimidation. Just ignore them and they will go away.

[Rideout]

west cott are useless, my girlfriend was paying back a water bill and she was even charged £2 every week for paying it ? west cott said it was for 'the book

' lol' any way we stoped paying it after about a year or so and they have never been back in touch lol.

[peegee1943]

Do you subcribe to Credit Expert, if not I would advice that you do so, then you can check your credit file. The threats that Wescot send can not be inforced in any way, basically they have no authority what so ever thats why they go to the extreme measures of intimidation. Just ignore them and they will go away.

 

Hi Bazz. I am new to this.

Wescot have sent me a demand for a debt that I never incurred. The people at my previous address took out credit in my name and defaulted. Sent all the relevant proof to wescot with dates of when I was there from the council, yet wescot still demands the money. It is like wescot are ignoring the proofs I have sent them to clear my name

[The GodMother]

they do dont worry. this happened to me. my exs then girlfriend used my name to get a catalogue and despite sending them solicitors letters proff of name change and everything they did not accept it. even said the solicitors lteers were fraudenlty produced any way i sent them a cca request and i have not been bothered since.

[peegee1943]

they do dont worry. this happened to me. my exs then girlfriend used my name to get a catalogue and despite sending them solicitors letters proff of name change and everything they did not accept it. even said the solicitors lteers were fraudenlty produced any way i sent them a cca request and i have not been bothered since.

 

Yes, but they will still put yer name onto the Experian Credit Reference if they cannot recover the debt, that is the way they will pay you back by using the last name they came up with

[peegee1943]

Hi Godmother

The police have told me that if someone uses my name to get credit and then defaults, like at my previous address, then it is NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENCE. That I have to take out private proceedings. I have heard the lot now. The police are totally useless.

Pete

[The GodMother]

no they have not with me no record from wescot

[bladeboy]

Hi Godmother

The police have told me that if someone uses my name to get credit and then defaults, like at my previous address, then it is NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENCE. That I have to take out private proceedings. I have heard the lot now. The police are totally useless.

Pete

 

Sounds like you've been fobbed off there, big time. Forward the circs to the relevant constabulary/force Professional Standards department and state that you want to make a formal 'complaint against police' for neglet of duty.

 

What you have described is a straight forward fraud!!!

[peegee1943]

Yes Bladeboy, I have written to Chief Constable, but the Edit backs up her officers. I have recently written to HM Inspectarate of Constabulary to complain about the way South Wales Police are operated. This is the third debt from the same previous address we lived. I have managed to cancel out two of them with months of work and money, but this latest debt (also not mine) has got me in a spin with no-one to help, especially the police. The police know that the debt comes from my previous address, and they have told me that they cannot prove it even if they approached new tenants, as they need a name. The home office have told me that once I have proof that the debt stemmed from old address, then the catalogues have to have a signature when goods delivered there, so there is the proof, yet the police say it is not eneough.

Edited August 9, 2008 by saintly_1
inappropriate language

[sillygirl1]

You need to get a Notice of some sort from a solicitor to send to Experian/Equifax et al explaining that you did not live at said address after xxx date and that you were not liable for any credit taken out in your name at that address - think it's called a 'swear'. If that doesn't stop the flow of rubbish then go to your local MP and kick up a fuss.

[peegee1943]

Hi Sillygirl

Here is a copy of letter typed and sent today to wescot:

 

Dear Sir / Madam

The above debt that you have made contact with me about is NOT mine. I would request from you the details you hold such as the date this credit was obtained, the date it was defaulted on, and any dates of birth that were obtained in order to get credit.

I will be demanding all my expences from you in connection with this debt right down to the penny, as my time and expence has been taken up in defence of said debt.

I need the information outlined above in order to present to South Wales Police, as this is not the first, or even second time you have demanded monies from me for debts not incurred by me.

It is about time that Debt collection agencies did a bit of security work before sending out demands such as proving that the person outlined is the debtor.

I reflect upon my earlier statement that I made to you, that if this debt is sent to Experian or any credit reference agency and marked against me, then I will seek compensation in the Courts.

I draw your attention to an earlier demand from yourselves: Reference 30033464 which was deleted from Experian after my proving that I was not the debtor. You should have deleted at my request this year this and any other record from your files, as at that time you were holding information/data that was proven not to be me. But, it would appear that you have not deleted this information, and thus you have breached the Data Protection Act, something I shall be taking up with the Commissioner later on.

The letter I sent to you requesting copy of the information at that time that you hold on me, and which was proven to be false, you refused to submit that information you hold on file. I do hope for your sake that you realise that to hold Data on somebody without due cause is a breach by law. I shall be making a very strong argument with the commissioner regarding this data, and the letter that you sent to me this year which proves that you hold that data.

One can only summise the vast amount of citizens who have had their lives destroyed by people such as you who are snarling at the bit to get money no matter who you hurt.

I am innocent, and when I prove this latest, then you will be MY target instead of me being yours. I will absolutely inundate you with mail and telephone calls so that your daily regime is strained as you have strained my life blood from me.

[peegee1943]

Have been to my MP Alun Michael MP, but he is all for the police, he will not have anything said against our Perfect police force.

[Guest forgottenone]

Yes Bladeboy, I have written to Chief Constable, but the [Edit] backs up her officers.

Pretty offensive, don't you think?

 

Incidentally ... one of my relatives is a personal friend to the MP ... you mention in your post above.

Edited August 9, 2008 by sea-sidelady
Swearing

[peegee1943]

It is offensive the way they treat the ordinary person who pays council tax. If I was in a mansion I would get all the help I needed, but I am a nobody, and we have a two tier policing system. Yes, I feel very strongly that the people who could help me with this are the people who are ignoring it.

[Guest forgottenone]

If I was in a mansion I would get all the help I needed, but I am a nobody, and we have a two tier policing system.

 

Well, fraud is fraud ... TBH, just find it incredible ... what you are claiming to have been told.

 

You could always expose it through the press ... Just an idea. Sure BBC's Watchdog would be interested in such a hard hitting, social matter such as this as well. Right up their street most likely. Although, as you seem to have all your bases covered ... including the MP thing, am sure you've already thought of these things.

 

Anyway, I hope you get justice for your problems. But, still, incredible you should be receiving such treatment as you say from those who are there to 'protect' us.

[Guest forgottenone]

I have managed to cancel out two of them with months of work and money, but this latest debt (also not mine) has got me in a spin with no-one to help, especially the police.

 

Something about this doesn't 'track' ... why have you been paying them anything, if you are so adamant the debts aren't yours?

 

Also, I find it hard to believe ... that the police said that to you. Something isn't making sense.

The home office have told me that once I have proof that the debt stemmed from old address, then the catalogues have to have a signature when goods delivered there, so there is the proof, yet the police say it is not eneough.

 

Nope, still makes no sense. So, then, what IS enough according to what you allege the police have told you? Also, the MP you mention ... backing this up as well ... I find extremely hard to swallow.

 

As I said ... a relative is frimly known to the MP you mention above. Just mentioning that BTW.

[Guest forgottenone]

Oh, just a tip here ... purely because you will be prosecuted by the police if you carry out this threat ... I'd have done what the others advised TBH.

 

I am innocent, and when I prove this latest, then you will be MY target instead of me being yours. I will absolutely inundate you with mail and telephone calls so that your daily regime is strained as you have strained my life blood from me.

 

Very simply, they will use the same laws against you. Harassment laws. Too late, however, if you have sent this letter to them as you say. But for future reference ... and it will merely waste your phone bill. And using words like 'target' ... I'm just suggesting you maybe be slightly more aware of things here. Don't want to see you in a police cell do we for example.

 

Anyway, hope you get somewhere with this. Merely mentioning the above things to you ... only to advise on what trouble you may be getting into by wording your letters as such. Nothing else.

[peegee1943]

You find it hard to swallow? Well that makes two of us. If one of your relatives is a close friend of the mP in question, then you will know that he is pro police.

As for "target", I have explained the word target insomuch as turning the tables on wescot, as they have made me a target, not once, but three times.

As for the police, well, they do know the address in question, but fail to take it on board because they said that they would have to have proof that someone in that house-hold did this. I have told them that when Catalgue companies send goods, then those goods have to be signed for at the door of the prospective address, but alas, even this is not proof.

What more proof do the police need in order to apprehend?

Todays police only seem to be interested in corporate crime or knife and gun crime. Little people like me do not stand a chance

[peegee1943]

furthermore, I have not been paying them anything, just denying the debt, and that is not good enough for them even after sending them proof from the council that we were not there at the dates mentioned

[peegee1943]

So, given that I have sent them this proof, why is it that they still hound me to try and get money for these debts?

[peegee1943]

It appears to me from your tone that you are backing the police and Wescot up 100%. I may be wrong, but you come across as someone who has not been harassed for debts, but just having a "go" at those who have debts against their names. Perhaps if you had been tormented by these debt collection agencies you would give some positive input. If I am wrong then I apologise, but please do not praise police or MPs to me when they have failed me, and possibly others like me. You have no idea what we go through with debts that are not ours, it is total MISERY.

[The GodMother]

Forgottenone. If you find that unbelievable then u need to here what the police round here says about crime.

 

I was being broken into whilest heavly pregnant and on my own with my son.

 

called 999 and was told it is not any emergancy as they had not gone into the property because i had locked the door.

 

yesterday i spoke to a police office regarding some of the local youth throwing bottles whilest standing on top of the bottle bin. They cause three cars to be dented buy other cars trying to avoid the bottles and my baby daughter and i were nearly hit by a different car as it mounted the pavement to avoid another bottle.

 

Even tho that is classed as anti social behaviour the officer refused to do anything as it was not in there remit, also known as there job discription, and inform the council. copuncil called the police on 999 and was told the same 6 hours later somebody ended up in hospital cause of this and now then polic have decided it is in there remit as the person is on life support after being hit by a car that was avoiding the bottles being thrown by the youth.

 

now if this had been delt with b4 that person may not be on life support.

[peegee1943]

Thanks for that Godmother. Truth is harder to believe than fiction. Some people believe that the police are wonderful, but when you have had a bad taste of them, then you know different. Wonder how his thinking will be if he gets his car stolen and the police turn up hours after, or even three days later.

[peegee1943]

Happy to tell you that the Chief Superintendent of police have told the Fraud Team to investigate and bring to book the people who stole my Identity. It will be headed by a Detective Inspector. It has been a long hard fight, stressful too. Willkeep you posted on the results.